Advocacy group flags teacher specialization gap; DepEd expands hiring, career advancement

Ramil Miralles

Around 75% of public school teachers in the Philippines are currently assigned to teach subjects outside their field of specialization, according to a report by advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).

The severe mismatch highlights systemic gaps in the country’s teacher deployment and curriculum management, raising critical concerns over the quality of instruction and learning loss among basic education students nationwide.

A massive 23,000 deficit of teachers in the Philippines forced several schools to assign educators to subjects beyond their expertise, advocacy group PBEd reported.

The group stressed that closing the skill gap among educators is essential to promote basic literacy and numeracy, particularly as Filipino students continue to fall short in standardized evaluations at home and abroad.

“Education reform cannot simply be a program that matures five or 10 years from now. A child gets only one first grade, only one sixth grade, and only one chance to graduate from high school prepared for what comes next,” PBEd Chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. said.

To address the crisis, PBEd urged the government to overhaul teacher training and deployment strategies. 

“Thirty-five years is long enough to diagnose the crisis. The next chapter must be about execution,” Del Rosario said.

The group urged to implement targeted upskilling programs, refined recruitment and deployment practices, and maintain consistent education policies across administrations to ensure educators are trained where demand is highest.

DepEd’s response and interventions

In response to these findings, officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) highlighted ongoing efforts such as the “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir” (SPIMS) program led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) in partnership with DepEd to review teacher assignments and streamline deployment policies nationwide.

The education department has previously noted plans to fill vacant teaching roles, including 32,916 recently approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the academic year 2026-2027 nationwide.

DepEd is aiming to promote 100,000 teachers in 2026 under its Expanded Career Progression System (ECPS).

The policy provides clear pathways for rank and salary advancement while keeping educators in active classroom roles, aiming to boost retention and keep experienced teachers teaching.